Startup of the Week – POSH View

We use many ways to share and communicate our ideas with the people around us on a daily basis, from tablets to texting, to Twitter, communication is very essential in social interactions, yet these devices and tech tools only allow us to do so much…

Enter POSH View, they build fully interactive and adaptive technologies that is revolutionizing the way businesses and people can attract, educate, interact, and communicate with clients, customers, and colleagues. Like something you would see in a Hollywood movie such as The Avengers, their cloud based solution provides customers with real-time procurement and fulfillment data, a robust backend management system, and streaming ultra-high definition wireless content. In addition, the system is fully social media enabled with live feed streaming functionality from Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube built-in.

Recently installed at The BMW Gallery in Calgary, customers are be able to search for vehicles available on the lot for sale, customize their own vehicles, and also swipe information from the platform onto their mobile devices.

We just talked to the cofounders, Kenneth Bond and Pieter Boekhoff to learn more.

How did you come up with the idea for your startup?

It came from the combination of our strengths as the founders, one of us has extensive media experience and the other has a strong technology background. We’ve both experienced success as entrepreneurs and together we saw the immense opportunity to pioneer human-computer interactivity. Whether it’s an interactive wall, window, desk, or mirror, we see what is currently science fiction as an opportunity to bring new technology to the market.

What has been the biggest challenge so far?

Scalability, and saying no to allow us to focus on the right opportunities instead of all opportunities.

Are there any key individuals outside of your organization that have been of great help to your startup?

Our customers are the validation of our company, and deserve the most recognition and thanks. We have worked extremely hard, and are self funded to date. Our commitment and vision has continually moved us forward.

What’s new with your startup that we can share?

We recently launched at the BMW dealership in Crowfoot and we’ll be launching at Calgary Jewellery in two weeks. We’ve also been invited to present at the Startup Calgary Launch Party on November 14th.

Personally, do you think it is more difficult to raise capital or find the right talent?

Both seem to be very difficult, although having customers has made raising capital much easier. Finding the right talent is our biggest challenge right now. Building your network before you need people can help reduce this burden.

What has contributed to your success to this point?

We feel Calgary has the right combination of community, thought leaders, and progressive business owners, as well as tech savvy customers to allow us to quickly penetrate Calgary as a pilot market and expand globally.

What made you choose to go down the path of entrepreneurship?

Hard work, passion, drive and integrity are our core values. The only true way to guarantee that you can apply these principles and completely control your own success is to be an entrepreneur, risk taker, and leader.

What are your thoughts on Calgary’s startup community?

Calgary’s startup community is on its way to being world class. We have to remember that the success of one company is a success for the community as a whole; however, we need more stakeholders to fully adopt this mandate. The world is small, and has been made even smaller through the Internet. When we all work together to support, champion, and collectively work through challenges, then together we can enjoy our successes, of which we truly believe Calgary is poised to have many, and on the world stage, not just locally.

What’s your ask right now?

We are currently taking investments from key individuals that can help us scale responsibly and quickly to meet the needs of our national and local partners.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Canada-Alberta Jobs Grant

This story was produced by the Calgary Herald in collaboration with SAIT Polytechnic to promote awareness of this topic for commercial purposes. The Calgary Herald's editorial departments had no involvement in the creation of this content.